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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. root — of a plant
  3. cue — a signal
  4. kid — child
  5. root — the cause
  6. net — after costs
  7. cue — a hint
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. press — a publisher
  11. net — in sport
  12. vault — a safe
  13. net — for catching
  14. root — of a word
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. press — to push
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bass — the fish
  22. toast — bread
  23. cue — for pool
  24. press — newspapers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com